Much Ado About Nothing
by R011ingThunder
Summary: Every year, the Allied Guilds come together to celebrate the defeat of the Oracion Seis with a ball. This year, Fairy Tail's hosting. Teenage mages and a formal dance? Chaos ensues! [Mazeverse] Prequel to S1 finale "Victory Gala". All ships minor, one-sided or bound for disaster: Miraxus, Grayza, Gruvia, Lyvia, Jendawg, Jennyon, Grayana, Nalu, Hibikevy, Gale, Jerza. Cue the angst.
1. A Ball

_This is the story of Lyon, who's head-over-heels for Juvia, who's pining after Gray, who's had a secret crush on Erza (basically since forever), but she's completely oblivious because she's totally in love with Jellal. Of Freed, who feels conflicted over his feelings for Mirajane who's ignoring him because she's not over Laxus who still misses what they used to have (even though he's mostly, completely over it). Of Loke who won't give up even though he knows that he has zero chance with Lucy, even though she's sick and tired of clueless, bone-headed Natsu who doesn't understand why there's a problem._

 _This is the Mazeverse series, a post-Tenrou AU with pairings galore. Gruvia, Lyvia, Grayza, Jerza, Nalu, Nali, Lolu, Graylu, Bixanna, Gale, ElfEver, Miraxus, Laxana, MiraFreed as well as a handful of crackships and rare-pairs as we try to pair the spares. This is the Mazeverse. No ship is safe ;)_

* * *

 **Happy Friday!**

 **This story is a little different than some of the others in Mazeverse. It's the first piece that I would consider 'required', as it's the prequel to a future piece. I chose the title _Much Ado About Nothing_ because it's basically just setup for _Victory Gala_ , which is where the real action happens.**

 **For those keeping score, this takes place in early May, a few weeks after _Happiness Comes in Waves_. May is a busy month in Mazeverse (I'm counting 8 stories that take place in May. Some of them happen back-to-back, others are simultaneous.) Thing are going to happen very quickly for our Fairy Tail friends. This is the point in the plot where the various subplots start to take off and feel like separate story threads. **

**This is also the point where things start to get a little bit ridiculous. I've been promising crazy for a while (mostly because I write ahead and save up pieces to post), but I haven't done anything too drastic (given that the worst I've done is tease some Grayza, Lyvia and a teensy bit of Nali). This is the start of actual, bonefide, _what-were-you-thinking_ , crazy. So if that's going to bother you, I can guarantee that you won't like this universe (or me) very much after this. Don't say I didn't warn ya. XD Okey-doke. Let's get to the _mise en place_ that we'll need to start sinking some ships!  
**

 **darling spider : Tee-hee! You have no idea how long I've wanted to get to this part of the story line. ;) Thanks for reviewing!  
**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

The Master had assembled them in front of the bar. This was a drill that Mira knew well. Fairy Tail's S-Class mages always stood with the Master when he made guild-wide announcements.

Mira took her place between Erza and Laxus.

"May I have your attention, please?" he asked. Master Makarov waited for his 'children' to quiet.

They didn't.

"Working real well, old man," Laxus snorted, crossing corded arms over his broad chest.

"Everyone, please," said Mira. "The Master has an announcement to make."

But her appeal fell on deaf ears as the party that never ended raged on.

"Let me," said Erza, before taking a deep breath. "SIIILENCEEE!" she bellowed.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and Natsu actually had the gall to snicker before Gray elbowed him. But Erza's actions had the desired effect. The rowdy mages quieted, unwilling to incur the wrath of the fearsome Titania.

Erza nodded at the Master. "Continue," she said, looking vaguely superior.

Laxus snorted again.

"Thank you, Erza," Master said. "As you all know, it has been seven years since the defeat of the Oracion Seis."

"Really? I can't believe it's been that long," said Natsu.

"Because for us it hasn't, Ash-for-Brains," Gray reminded him.

"To celebrate the friendship and cooperation that resulted from the alliance between Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Cait Shelter and, of course, Fairy Tail, a commemorative ball is held every year."

"A ball?" asked Levy.

"That sounds like so much fun!" gushed Lucy.

Gajeel groaned.

"Dances are _manly_!" roared Elfman, pounding his fist on the table.

"That's one word for it," snorted Gray.

"It's actually a pretty big deal," Laki told them, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "The four guilds—well, three—get together for a big party."

Bisca nodded. "It's a shame that y'all had to miss the last couple," she said. "Me and Alzack had a grand ol' time, didn't we, Hun?"

"Sure did, Sugar," grinned Alzack.

"This year, it is Fairy Tail's turn to host the event, so the Victory Gala will be held in the city of Magnolia. I hope you will all choose to attend. That is all."

As everyone returned to their own conversations, Mira could sense the excitement coursing through the guild. As Bisca had pointed out, most of them had never been to an event like this. Mira and the others had missed out on quite a bit when they were on Tenrou Island. Picking up a damp rag, she wiped down the bar, watching the drama unfold.

Levy and Lucy were already talking about dresses. Their heads were bent in careful deliberation, the occasional giggle punctuating their whispers.

A few tables, away, Juvia looked ecstatic.

"Did you hear that Gajee? A ball!" squealed a starry-eyed Juvia.

"Yeah, I heard." Gajeel glowered, the studs in his face making his expression look even more intimidating.

Juvia clasped her hands to her chest. "A chance for Juvia to dance the night away with her beloved Gray!"

"You're getting ahead of yourself Sprinkler," grunted Gajeel.

"Nonsense, Gajee!" insisted Juvia. "This will be a lot of fun."

"This is one of those formal things, right? Get all dressed up and stuff?"

"That's what the word ' _ball'_ means, Gajeel," Patherlilly sighed.

Gajeel snorted. "Thought so."

"Honestly, I don't understand how you survived this long without me," the black Exceed said, whisking his tail back and forth.

"I don't need to know what a ball is 'cause I ain't goin'," declared Gajeel.

Both Pantherlilly and Juvia dug into him at the same time.

"Really, Gajeel?"

"But…but… _Gajee_!"

"No. I said, no!" he snapped at each in turn.

Mira smiled to herself, turning toward the Dragon-Slayer next to her. She hoped he would be a little more amenable to the idea of a ball. "This will be fun, won't it Lax?"

"Sure," he said, the bass in his voice making her melt. Mira couldn't remember the last guy who made her feel like this. His very presence made her knees go jelly.

"I'm kind of excited," she confided. "I can't remember the last time I got all dressed up."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "It should be a good time. I wonder how many people will show up with dates."

There was a flicker of something in Laxus' green eyes. "Ever's probably expecting your brother to take her. You might want to warn him so she doesn't get upset," he said coolly.

Mira giggled at the thought. "We can't have that! I'll be sure to say something to him. What about you? Are you planning on going with anyone?"

"Mhm?"

"To the ball. Are you going with anyone?"

Laxus sighed. "I only found out about it five minutes ago, Mira," he said. "Haven't really thought about it." He turned abruptly. "I've actually got to see the old man about something. He said it was important. So if you'll excuse me."

"See you later," said Mira, though she couldn't help the surge of disappointment she felt as Laxus headed for the Master's office without a backwards glance.

* * *

 **Ooh. Poor Mira! Hmm... I wonder what's going on with them.  
**

 **In other news... it's been a while since I've done a rant or a rambling. Today feels like an appropriate time to share another. I just got back from the first solo trip I've done in a while. Normally I like to travel with coworkers or friends. I hate traveling alone, because every single time it ends up being a horrible ordeal. But this trip wasn't bad, and it made me more confident things. It also reminded me of something my friend said.**

 **She was from Thailand, but she moved to Germany for work...despite speaking no German and very little English. I asked her how she could be so brave (and what possessed her to move to a country where she'd have a clear language barrier). She told me about having a negative experience with doing foreign exchange in high school. But instead of letting that color her perception, she decided to try again. "Other people have positive experiences and great stories; I was just unlucky and I had a bad one," she told me. "I want to make some good memories to overwrite the bad ones. That's why I'm here." I thought that was such an inspiring way to look at things! Just thought I'd share. :)  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Much Ado About Nothing,_** **Erza gives our boys a stern talking-to:** _Erza snarled, slamming both hands on the table. "I do not require that you to invite one of the girls, but I do expect to see you both there."_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	2. Obligatory

**Happy Friday! This week's chapter was originally part of chapter 1, where Mira's doing her glance around the guild. But I realized that I had sprinkled little bits of Natsu's PoV in there. And it made way more sense than Mira's, so I broke it out as a mini-chapter.  
**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

"This ball-thing sounds super lame," complained Natsu.

"I know, right?" said Gray.

Gramps' announcement had thrown them both for a loop. As far as Natsu was concerned, this spirit of cooperation thing was overrated. Fairy Tail was the best guild and that was all there was to it.

"You planning on going?" he asked Gray.

"God, no!" Gray shook his head. He shot a look at Juvia and Gajeel's table. "I happen to value my life, thanks."

"For once we agree, Ice Block! What do you think about hitting up the arcade instead?" asked Natsu.

"Whatever," said Gray with a shrug. "Beats all this drama and crap."

"Problem?" asked Erza, planting herself in front of the two boys.

Natsu recoiled as their terrifying teammate loomed over their table, accidentally bumping shoulders with Gray as he did the same.

"No, ma'am!" said Gray.

"Of course not!" said Natsu.

"Natsu and I are getting along great." Gray forced a smile, slinging an arm around Natsu's shoulders.

"For once," agreed Natsu, playing along with the best-buds act. He squealed when Gray kicked him under the table.

" _Shut up_ , Flame Brain," hissed Gray.

Erza's eyes narrowed. "The Victory Gala is an important event for the guild," she said sharply. "The Master informs me that we will be the guests of honor."

"Swell," said Gray.

"Your attendance is obligatory," stated Erza. "You understand what that means."

"Obligatory?" echoed Natsu, making a show of scratching his head. He knew what Erza wanted, but he wasn't going to make it easy for her.

Erza snarled, slamming both hands on the table. "I do not require that you to invite one of the girls, but I _do_ expect to see you both there."

Gray flinched as she leaned in. Natsu snickered.

"You _will_ attend, and you will be on your best behavior. Do I make myself clear?" hissed Erza.

"Yes, ma'am," said Gray quickly. "Clear as ice."

"Good," said Erza. Then she smiled, her menacing aura vanishing. "Now to figure out what I'm going to wear!" she said cheerfully.

Natsu blinked. Sometimes he wasn't sure whose mood swings were worse: Erza's or Lucy's. Natsu opened his mouth to comment, but pain shot through his foot as Gray stomped on it again.

"Ow! What gives, man?" protested Natsu.

"Do ya _want_ her to come back? No? Then keep your mouth shut, Fire Breath," said Gray.

"So, you still up for playing hooky?" asked Natsu innocently.

"God, no!" Gray shot him an incredulous look. His eyes flitted towards Erza, his gaze lingering just a little bit too long. "I happen to value my life, thanks." Gray may have sounded casual, but Natsu knew better.

A wicked idea formed in Natsu's mind. This was one of those times where being the team's resident butt-monkey had its perks.

"So what did Erza mean by inviting one of the girls?" asked Natsu, playing dumb. "I thought everyone was invited."

"She means on a date, doofus," said Gray, clearly unamused.

"Why?" asked Natsu, scrunching his forehead in mock confusion.

"Why what?" asked Gray.

"Why would we do that? I mean, is that a thing?"

"Are you an idiot?" snarled Gray. "Because it's a formal. Because it's a good excuse to ask someone out since we all have to go. Because—I don't know how girls' brains work, okay?" Gray sighed, hand rising to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Natsu fought the urge to snicker, instead pretending to think it over. "So are you going to ask Erza?" he asked, a glint in his eye.

" _What_?" Gray's head snapped up.

Natsu had to keep himself from crowing. "You heard me, Frost Face." The Ice Block was such an easy target. "Are you gonna ask Erza?"

The expression of surprise was only on Gray's face for an instant. He smoothed it away quickly, but Natsu had seen it. "I… don't know what you're talking about," said Gray stiffly.

"You are so easy to read, dude," Natsu chortled.

It didn't take a genius to know what he had walked in on when they rescued Erza and Gray on Mount Hakobe. Natsu hadn't said anything then, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to have some fun at the Ice Block's expense after the fact.

"Shut up, okay?" muttered Gray, looking away.

"Just be glad Happy's out with Wendy and Charle." Natsu pulled his arms in to imitate paws and trilled, "He liiikes h—"

Gray's fist collided with his jaw.

Natsu grimaced. Then he laughed. _So_ worth it.

* * *

 **After this, Natsu obviously hit Gray back. He's not the type to _Let It Go_ , though neither is our resident Ice Mage. ;)  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Much Ado About Nothing,_** **Matchmaker Lyon gets dragged into more relationship drama:** _First Juvia and now Toby. When did he become Mr. Relationship?_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	3. Mr Relationship

**Happy Friday!**

 **darling spider : This is one of my favorite chapters. I super-love Lyon and his team. Thanks for the R&R!**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Lyon's lacrima sounded. He smiled as he recognized the caller.

"Sorry, I should probably take this. Go ahead and start without me." Lyon excused himself and stepped out into the hallway, lacrima in hand. "Hey, Juvia."

"Lyon! Did I catch you at a bad time?" Juvia's voice crackled through the lacrima.

Lyon's eyes darted toward the table where the rest of his team was eating lunch. "No, of course not. I'm always glad to hear from you," he said.

"So, you've heard about the Victory Gala, yes?" asked Juvia. Her excitement was palpable, even through the lacrima. Lyon could imagine the sparkle in her eyes as she clenched eager fists.

"Of course. It's all Sherry can talk about. It's starting to drive Yuka a little crazy, though," he confided.

Over at his table, Sherry sighed, a star-struck smile pulling at her lips. The girl always had her head in a cloud, but Lyon swore it had gotten worse since they had started talking about this year's Victory Gala.

"You must have your hands full," giggled Juvia.

"Full doesn't even begin to describe it. But it's all in a day's work, really," he bragged. "What about you? You sound excited about it," he observed.

"How can Juvia not be? Juvia can't remember the last time she's been to a formal dance. It's so exciting!"

"I can imagine," he said.

"You'll be there, right? Guest of honor and all that?" she asked. "Juvia was told that you were actually part of the mission."

"That's right," he said carefully, acutely aware of the quickening of his pulse. He knew it was foolish to get his hopes up, but part of him couldn't help it.

"Juvia was wondering if she could ask Lyon for a favor."

"And what would that be?" he asked. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that he already knew what she would say.

"It would make Juvia very happy if, well… Juvia hates to be a bother," she said. "But whenever Lyon helps, things tend to work out. So if she could trouble you, just one more time…"

Lyon took a deep breath. He let it out slowly, forcing his disappointment to settle. "Is this about Gray?"

Got it in one.

"Juvia hates to be a bother," she said again, sounding almost embarrassed.

"Juvia, it's no trouble at all. I told you. I'm happy to do whatever I can." The reply was rehearsed. Automatic. And at this point, it was as much for her sake as it was for his own. "How can I help?"

"Do you think Juvia should ask Gray to take her to the dance?" she blurted out, breathless.

A wry smile pulled at Lyon's lips. Did _he_ think she should? Absolutely not. Gray was an idiot and Juvia was better off staying as far away from him as possible.

As to whether or not it would work?

"I'm not sure that'll get you the outcome you're looking for," he said honestly. "You might be better off meeting him there and approaching him at the Gala."

"That's a good idea," agreed Juvia. "Juvia will be sure to do that."

"And remember—"

"Don't smother him?" finished Juvia. She sounded like she was smiling.

"I was going to say call me anytime, but you're right too."

"You've taught Juvia well," Juvia giggled. "Thanks again, Lyon. Talking to you always makes me feel more sure of myself. It gives me hope that eventually I'll get through to him."

His team was deep in conversation when Lyon finally rejoined them.

Or at least Yuka was. Sherry was nodding distractedly, leafing through a copy of Sorcerer Weekly.

"Are you even listening?" Yuka demanded.

"Clearly not, seeing as she's gone and put onions on her sandwich," noted Lyon, taking his place at the table. Sherry hated onions and normally asked for them to be left off of her food.

Sherry looked startled. "Oh, gross. I didn't even notice. That's not _love_ ," she said with a frown. She picked the offending condiment out of her lunch, wrinkling her nose at it. "Thanks for that."

"Good thing Lyon notices everything," said Toby, picking up his dish and looking under it.

Lyon might have been flattered if the compliment had come from anyone other than Toby. Toby was absent-minded by nature, so the whole team always helping him find things he had misplaced.

"It's a blessing and a curse," Lyon sighed dramatically. "The spoon you're looking for is in your hand, by the way."

Toby put his dish down, looked sheepish. "Right. I knew that. I was just testing you."

"What on earth has everyone so worked up?" asked Yuka. "Neither of you have been paying any attention this afternoon," he said, shooting serious looks at Sherry and Toby.

"Just trying to figure out what I should do with my hair," sighed Sherry, brushing at the loose strands with her fingers. Her eyes were still glued to her magazine.

"The same thing you do with it every year," said Yuka in exasperation.

"Let her go," said Lyon. "There's no getting through to her when she's in this state."

"So, who else is excited for the Gala?" asked Sherry, eyes lighting up in excitement. "Are any of you guys going?"

"You and I don't have a choice," said Lyon, gesturing at Sherry and himself. "But I'm guessing you would have wanted to go regardless."

"Naturally," said Sherry. "That's _love_."

"You two going together?" asked Yuka, suddenly interested.

"Goodness, no!" giggled Sherry. "Ren will be there. Anyone else bringing a date?"

"Oh, me!" blurted Toby, raising a paw.

Yuka's bushy eyebrows jerked skyward. He shot Lyon a dark look.

"Oh, that's _love_!" chirped Sherry. "Who is it?"

"Well… I can't say," said Toby. His eyes darted towards Sherry. Or maybe he was looking at the cover of her magazine?

Sherry pouted. "You can tell us, Toby. We're all friends here."

"But I haven't asked her yet," he said, wringing his hands. His eyes darted back and forth.

"You can't leave me in suspense this way. So not _love_ ," said Sherry. "Tell you what. We should play twenty questions so I can guess who it is." Sherry clasped her hands together. "Will you tell me if I guess right?"

Toby shrugged. "I don't see how that would hurt. Okay."

"Is she a mage?" asked Sherry.

"Sure is," said Toby, a dopey smile spreading across his face. Lyon wondered if he looked like that when Juvia called.

"Is she a guild wizard?"

"Yeah."

"We _are_ talking about a girl, right?" asked Sherry hastily.

"I think she's more of a woman than a girl," said Toby.

"Is she from Mermaid Heel?" asked Sherry.

"Nope." Toby shook his head. "Guess again."

"Is she in Fairy Ta—"

"Is her name Jenny Realight?" interrupted Yuka.

Toby's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"Please, it was completely obvious," said Yuka, frowning. "A word, Lyon?"

"If I must," he said with a sigh. He followed Yuka away from the table. Lyon didn't particularly want to involve himself in this little drama, but it seemed he had no choice.

"You can't let him go through with this," said Yuka, as soon as the rest of the team was out of earshot.

"What are you talking about?" asked Lyon.

"Jenny Realight," spat Yuka. "I think it'll end in disaster."

"What's your problem?" asked Lyon, glaring. "You have been on Toby's case since he told us about his little crush."

"It's _Jenny Realight_ ," insisted Yuka, as if the name alone meant something.

"And?"

" _The_ Jenny Realight," repeated Yuka, pointing at Sherry.

For a moment, Lyon was confused. Then he realized that Yuka was pointing at Sherry's magazine. "Lyon, she's a Sorcerer Weekly model. She's _gorgeous_."

"That explains why Toby likes her so much," said Lyon.

"He doesn't have a chance," insisted Yuka.

"How do you know that?" asked Lyon. "Not that it's any of our business, that is."

"Someone like _you_ wouldn't understand," Yuka complained sullenly.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" demanded Lyon.

Yuka huffed. "All of this is easy for you to say. You're the kind of guy who can get any girl he wants."

Lyon bristled. Yuka's words couldn't have been further from the truth. And the lacrima call he had just gotten off of proved it. But Lyon wasn't in the mood to talk about his non-existent love-life.

This wasn't about him. It was about Toby.

"What's the real problem?" he asked instead.

"Guys like us—like me and Toby—we don't have a chance with a girl like that." Yuka sighed, scowling at the floor. "I… I don't want to see Toby getting hurt. Not over someone like her."

Lyon let out a breath. "Yuka, I understand your concerns. And I think they're admirable. I really do. And if Toby had said something about, it would be entirely different. But as it stands, Toby hasn't asked for our help. It's really not any our business."

"Big words coming from the guy who went to rough up Sherry's boyfriend when they first got together."

"Who told you about that?" asked Lyon sharply.

Yuka smirked. "Chelia."

Lyon scoffed. He should have known. "Of course. That girl!" Then he sighed. "Although, you know that's not the same thing at all, right?"

" _Really_?" jeered Yuka. "Sounds like you were just looking out for your best friend and teammate, same as I am."

"I didn't stop Sherry from making her own choices," Lyon pointed out. "I may have tried to influence the situation a little, but that's fair game."

Yuka sighed. "I don't see how we can do that," he said. "It's not like I can _make_ her give him a chance."

" _Exactly_ ," said Lyon. "Now do you understand? There's nothing I can do at this point. We just have to let this run its course and hope for the best."

Yuka didn't look happy, but he had to concede the point. He followed Lyon back to the table with a reluctant sigh.

"Oh, good. You're back," said Sherry excitedly. "Toby has something to ask you, Lyon."

"Oh? What is it?" Surely he couldn't be…

"So, um. I was wondering," stammered Toby. "You're really good with girls and stuff. Do you think you could help me… maybe get a date with Jenny? I sorta want to take her to the dance, y'know?"

First Juvia and now Toby. When did he become Mr. Relationship?

"You'll help, Lyon. Won't you?" asked Sherry.

Yuka and Lyon exchanged glances. Toby had asked. And Lyon had admitted that it was fair game to influence the situation a little. What was stopping him?

"Fine. I might as well," sighed Lyon.

"Oh, good!" chirped Sherry. "That's totally _love_!"

"Just one question," interrupted Lyon. "Do you trust me?"

"Um, yeah? I guess?" said Toby.

"Good," said Lyon, already formulating a plan in his mind. It would be risky, but hopefully well worth it.

"I don't like that look on your face. What are you planning?" asked Sherry, her eyes narrowing.

"We'll have to wait and see, won't we?" said Lyon.

* * *

 **Toby X Jenny? For those who remember, I said this ship was coming back, didn't I? It's legit.**

 **So here's the deal. Every ship needs a name, and because I'm 98% certain this is something that we made up (because it's just plain ridiculous) we get to name it. And if I forget to ask, feel free to suggest anyways. ;) What do you guys want to call it? Tobenny? Tobjen? Tealight? Something else? Leave your suggestion in the comments and I'll pick out an official ship name for us to use.**

 **Then there's Mazeverse-Juvia. You'll see that she's starting to become a bit more self-aware than her canon counterpart. This opens up the potential to have some fun with this iteration of her character and do some compare and contrast as I try to take her in a different direction.**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Much Ado About Nothing,_** **we pop in to see how the Pegasus boys are doing:** _"The Victory Gala is less than a week away, men. And we have so much to celebrate! Man."_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	4. The Men of Blue Pegasus

**Happy Friday!**

 **So I've decided. By suggestion, Toby X Jenny shall henceforth be referred to as Jendawg. XD**

 **Feel free to name any other (potential) crack-ships that you spot.**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

A dramatic spotlight illuminated the darkness.

"The Victory Gala is less than a week away, men. And we have so much to celebrate! _Man_."

"Yes, yes," agreed Hibiki. He led his fellow Trimens into the light, stepping out onto the stairs.

"Yes, indeed, Captain," said Ren, appearing behind him. He bowed at the waist.

"Yes, sir. Yes, sir, Boss-man!" Eve followed suit, bringing his heels together in a crisp salute.

Posed as they were, Hibiki imagined that they looked rather like something from a film poster. At least that was the look he assumed Ichiya was going for with the lighting special effects and all.

"The Trimens need to represent Blue Pegasus with pride!" Ichiya declared, performing a flawless pirouette. Hibiki had long wondered how a man with Ichiya's build managed to move like that. He'd be jealous, if it wasn't so unsettling.

"Sure thing, Master," said Ren.

"As we do every year, Mr. Ichiya," said Hibiki.

"Without a doubt, My Lord," nodded Eve.

"You boys are having _way_ too much fun up here," interrupted a feminine voice.

Hibiki looked over the balcony to see Jenny Realight, a grin tugging at her lips. She was this year's Miss Fiore for a reason—she was as pretty as ever.

"Hey, Jenny!" Hibiki turned the lights back on with a click, making Eve blink owlishly for a few seconds.

"It's not bright in here or anything," complained Ren.

"What are you goofballs doing?" Jenny laughed.

"We are merely discussing the importance of the upcoming Victory Gala, Miss Jenny," said Ichiya smoothly.

"Oh… Sure. That's certainly what it looked like," she teased.

"What brings you all the way out here?" asked Hibiki.

"I was on my way back from a photoshoot, so I figured I'd stop over. But don't let me interrupt your… _discussion_. I can wait."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" said Eve, looking towards Ichiya.

"Certainly not," declared Ichiya, looking affronted.

"Of course not," agreed Hibiki.

"Please, take your time," said Jenny, taking a seat on one of the plush sofas.

"That will be all for today, men," said Ichiya.

"Thank you for your wisdom, Teacher," said Hibiki, bowing.

"Yes, yes," chorused Ren and Eve. "Thank you for your wisdom!" they echoed.

As Ichiya exited stage left and the rest of the guys scattered, Hibiki made a beeline for Jenny.

"So, Jenny," said Hibiki, sitting down next to her. "I'm glad you stopped by to see me. I've been meaning to call, but, well…" Hibiki shrugged. He didn't offer an explanation. Jenny was always a good sport about these things.

"Uh, I was actually here to see Ren," she said gently.

"Oh… that's _different_ …" said Hibiki.

What did she want with Ren?

"I mean, it's good to see you too, Hibs, but, well…" she parroted his shrug.

"Well, hang on a sec. What time do you want me to pick you up on Saturday? Five-thirty?" asked Hibiki. He leaned against the armrest casually.

"What for?" asked Jenny, sounding genuinely confused.

"For the Gala? What else?"

Jenny gave a tired-sounding sigh. "What happened to what's-her-name you were with last weekend?" asked Jenny, her voice cool.

"Lorelei? I don't think she was my type," Hibiki confided. "So I figured _we_ could go together instead. Y'know. Like always."

It was true that he had been dating around lately. But he wasn't serious. They had been friends long enough for her to know that.

Jenny looked vaguely amused. "Who says I'm going with you?"

Hibiki blinked, startled. But he recovered quickly. "I just assumed," he said. Hibiki slipped an arm around Jenny's shoulders. "I mean, we go to things together all the time."

Jenny shrugged his arm off, annoyance puckering her forehead. "Not this time, Hibs," she said.

"What do you mean? I mean, who else would you be going with, babe?" asked Hibiki.

"Somebody who actually asked," she said, turning away with a sigh. "And I'm your best friend. I'm not your babe." Jenny stood up, stepping away from him. "Hibiki, you can't keep coming back to me just because it's convenient."

Hibiki winced. He didn't like it, but he had to admit that Jenny had a point. He dated around. He flirted with other girls. But she had always done the same.

They weren't actually together. Not exactly.

He wasn't sure what to call them, but did it matter? He didn't think so. He was pretty sure that was one of the reasons why their relationship worked. He did his thing and she did hers. But at the end of the day, they were there for one another, no questions asked.

So he'd just assumed that she'd be there whenever he wanted to go out. But maybe that wasn't fair...

It still hurt, though. The Victory Gala was _their_ thing. They had always gone together, ever since the first one.

Jenny shot him a sympathetic glance before standing up. "Hey, Ren?" called Jenny. "Are you taking the Christina Advance over to Lamia Scale this weekend?"

Ren shrugged, looking up from the windowsill he had perched himself on. "Not because I want to or anything. I mean, I kinda have to pick up Sherry."

"Cool. Mind if I catch a ride? I'm meeting someone there," said Jenny.

"Whatever," said Ren. "It's not like I think it'd be fun for us to all go together."

"Perfect," said Jenny.

"Wait, hold up!" interrupted Hibiki. "Lamia Scale? Did we just lose another one to _Lamia Scale_?" Hibiki asked, his voice shooting up an octave and breaking on the last word.

"Looks that way," said Eve.

Jenny grinned, looking almost apologetic. She brushed her golden hair behind her ear, drawing Hibiki's attention to the flower nestled at the base of her ponytail. It wasn't the red hibiscus that she usually wore. It was a red rose, its petals preserved by a smattering of ice.

* * *

 **Wait. _What?_**

 **Who thinks there was some kind of miscommunication somewhere? Yeah? In one of our upcoming stories, we're going to cover what actually went down between Chapters 3 and 4. Stay tuned for _Matchmaker, Heartbreaker, Total Sucker._** **(But that's after a few more chapters of _Much Ado_ , and another side-story called _Joyride_.) **

**On another note, guys who only want to hang out because they have nothing better** ** **to do** (when you're the convenient friend who's always the second choice) are a pet peeve of mine. Mind you, not all guys are like that, but they do exist. Mazeverse Hibiki just happens to be one of them.**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Much Ado About Nothing_** **:** _"C'mon. You have to go," said Gray, his tone picking up a wheedling note. "For me."_ **Who on earth could make Gray beg like that?  
**

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	5. Gray the Great to the Rescue

**Happy Friday!**

 **Guest : You know I love me a good cliffie! Thanks for the R&R :)**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Cana sat cross-legged on the bar counter. She knocked back another beer before helping herself to yet another. Mira had granted her unrestricted access to the bar while she was… busy.

Apparently, this dance had everyone wound up and sort of crazy.

The other girls had all clustered around one of the larger tables, whispering and giggling. Wendy was wringing her hands, uncharacteristically nervous about her first formal. Juvia was swooning over poor Gray. Lisanna, perky as ever, was chatting animatedly to Lucy. And at the center of it all was Mirajane. Barmaid, beauty queen, mother of… well, basically everyone in the guild.

Even Erza was in on the fun. She was nowhere near as giddy as the others, but Erza was expressing her enthusiasm in that distinctly Erza way of hers. The Requip Knight had drawn a mess of a sketch that she was calling a dress. Apparently, she was going all the way to Crocus to have it made.

Cana couldn't help but smile. Her guildmates were unique, that was for sure. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

But part of her couldn't help but feel a little… left out.

Cana was no stranger to being by herself. She was the first of the younger mages to have joined the guild, but she had made friends with the rest of the original crew as they joined. Cana wasn't antisocial by any means. She definitely loved a good party.

But sometimes, it was just easier to be alone.

"Cana? Not getting swept up in the whole Gala thing?"

Cana peered over the top of her mug, ready to tell some nosy person to butt out and leave her to her drink. But seeing as it was just Gray, she relented. He sat across from her, perched on one of the barstools.

"Who says I'm going?" she asked, brows drawn together critically. She took another pull from her drink.

"You're not?" Gray looked surprised. "I mean, all the girls are…" He gave a vague wave in the general direction of Mira and her gaggle.

Cana shrugged. "No sense in getting worked up about it. Figured I'd skip out."

"No freakin' way," Gray scowled at her. "Erza's forcing me and Natsu to show up."

Cana flashed a cheeky grin. "That's _your_ problem," she said, raising her mug and pretending to toast him.

"Aw, have a heart, Cana! You can't leave me to _that_ all by myself." He jerked his thumb at the gaggle of girls. "I'm basically defenseless, y'know."

"Aw, poor baby," she teased. "Drink?" she offered, pointedly ignoring the fact he had lost his shirt at some point during this conversation.

"I'll pass," he said, waving her off.

"Suit yourself," Cana shrugged. She took a slow sip of her beer, relishing the burn on her tongue. "This is the kind of party with no booze. Why would I even want to go?"

"There'll be drinks," said Gray. "It's a formal, so drinks are a given."

"Yeah, like champagne and crap. Not the good stuff. Champagne is for sissies." Cana crinkled her nose. "I'd rather stay here. More booze for me!" She sloshed her drink around, frowning at the sound of jingling bracelets instead of splashing beer.

Cana peered into her mug. It was empty again. Drat.

"Mira's going, so there'll be no one working the bar," Gray reminded her.

"Not a problem," said Cana. " _I know how to work the tap,_ " she pretended to whisper. Smugly, she reached over to top off her mug.

"Loke's going."

"Good for him."

"C'mon. You have to go," said Gray, his tone picking up a wheedling note. "For me."

Cana quirked an eyebrow.

"Okay, that came out wrong," said Gray, putting up a hand as if it would ward off misunderstanding. "Look, I promise it'll be a good time, okay? I'm sure you'll find some way to enjoy yourself."

Cana laughed, shaking her head. Although, she did have to admit that he'd come a long way. This was a considerable improvement over his "Gray the Great" phase he had when they were kids. Now, if only he would do something about his stripping habit…

"Hey, Gray? Why do you care whether or not I'm going to this stupid thing anyways?" she asked. "And don't tell me that misery loves company. There are enough other people around for you to be miserable with."

"Dunno," shrugged Gray. "Felt like it, I guess. You were kinda all by yourself." Gray gave another shrug, this time, looking awkward. He picked at his pants, probably looking for lint that didn't exist.

"Were you… worried about me?" Cana fought the smile that pulled at her lips. She could see right through the big dork. Gray was a softie at heart.

"Not really," said Gray, turning so his hair fell over his eyes. "I mean, somebody's gotta scrape you off the floor when you get smashed."

"Fine…" sighed Cana. "I'll go, okay?"

"Really? I mean, it's whatever…" said Gray. He sounded nonchalant, but he grinned broadly.

"Hey, Gray?"

"Yeah?"

"Your clothes."

"Crap!" Gray scrambled to find his shirt. "I swear it was here just a second ago!"

Cana laughed. Such a dork.

* * *

 **Okay, be honest... who guessed that this chapter was a Cana chapter? XD**

 **Anyone ever notice that Cana's often by herself? She's not attached to any team either. I think she's lonely.  
**

 **There's even a part of me that wants to ship her with Gray. (Clearly, I ship Gray with just about everybody. XD Any excuse to write about him, right?)** **I don't remember whose headcanon I'm stealing, but they made a really good case for these two being a thing. They have such an interesting dynamic! Cana would have had to be Gray's first friend (even before Natsu and Erza), and they seem pretty close in some of the flashbacks. There's story potential there.  
**

 **Unfortunately, Gray's subplot is already so convoluted that trying to make it intersect with Cana's subplot ended up being too complicated. No Grayana in this universe beyond a the tiniest bit of ship-teasing. I'll write them their own universe some day (or make them part of some other convoluted love decahedron).  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] Much Ado About Nothing,_** **Hibiki gets a date:** _"I heard you were free on Saturday," said Lucy carefully._

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	6. Love is Blind and So Are Dates

**Happy Friday! Hold on to your hats... this is going to be an interesting one... ;D  
**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Lucy wiggled her toes. "Am I a pro or what?"

She grinned at the swirl of blues and purples on her toenails. It was like having little galaxies on her feet. Pretty appropriate for Fairy Tail's resident Celestial Wizard, if she did say so herself.

Lucy was spending the afternoon at Fairy Hills. She and Levy were giving each other makeovers in preparation for the upcoming dance.

"Lookin' good, Lu! Do me next?" asked Levy, passing Lucy a bottle of metallic polish and offering out her hands. "I can do my left hand okay, but my right ends up being a total mess."

"Sure thing. Ooh, rose gold. That would be a great color on you," said Lucy approvingly. "Does it match your dress?"

"Well…" Levy looked hesitant.

"No matter. You okay if I do an ombre? That would tone it down a little, but keep it classy."

"That sounds fancy," said Levy. "You know how to do that?"

"Of course, I do," said Lucy, shaking the bottle of nail polish. "Do you have a make-up sponge?"

Levy dug one out of her drawer and Lucy got to work.

"So have you picked out your dress yet?" asked Lucy.

"Not really… I don't really know what I'm doing yet," said Levy.

"The ball is this Saturday, Levy! What do you mean you don't know what you're doing?"

Levy shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

"Well, do you know what Gajeel is wearing?" asked Lucy. She worked slowly, trying to keep the polish neat and even. "He always wears black, doesn't he? You would totally rock a little black dress. I mean, you don't _have_ to match or whatever, but it would be way cute."

"…See, I don't know that we're going together."

" _What_?" Lucy froze, shocked. Quickly, she returned the brush to the bottle. She didn't trust herself to keep her hands from shaking. "But I thought you guys were together. I mean, he did kinda serenade you in front of the entire guild."

"Yeah, but that was months ago. He didn't actually ask me out or anything. And he didn't say anything about this ball," said Levy quietly.

"What do you mean he didn't?!" she said indignantly.

"See, I asked Lilly about it, and he told me that Gajeel hadn't said anything about the dance. He figured that Gajeel probably just wasn't going."

"That's stupid," said Lucy.

"Lilly called him an idiot…" said Levy.

"He deserves it," interrupted Lucy.

"…before offering to take me himself," said Levy.

Lucy fought to keep the surprise off her face. "Oh. Are you…?"

Levy giggled, shaking her head. "It was sweet of him to offer, but I told Pantherlilly that it probably wouldn't work too well, even if he can turn into a full panther for a little while."

Hulking Pantherlilly and dainty Levy. Lucy couldn't help but smile at the mental image.

"I'm sure it's fine," said Levy. "A lot of the other girls are going by themselves: Juvia, Erza, Mira… You're not going with anybody either, right?"

Lucy made a face. "That's because the guys on my team are idiots."

She hadn't bothered asking that idiot Natsu. Juvia would probably drown her if she even looked at Gray. She had considered asking Loke to take her, since he was planning to attend as well. But how lame would it be to go with one of your Celestial Spirits? Even if he was the Leader of the Zodiac.

"But you might have better luck than me," said Lucy. "Jet and Droy are free, right?"

"I don't know, Lu… I don't want to encourage them," said Levy. "I guess I could always go stag, right?"

Could a girl even go stag? Lucy thought that term only referred to guys. And as much as Levy would have a great time with or without Gajeel, Lucy wasn't sure she wanted to encourage her friend to do that.

Lucy considered her dear friend to be intelligent, loyal and very pretty. Levy could be a little quiet at times, but she could be assertive when she wanted to. Levy was an incredible person and any guy would be lucky to have her. And if the Iron Dragon-Slayer couldn't get that through his metal skull, that was his loss!

"You are _not_ going stag," said Lucy firmly.

"But—"

"Don't worry, Levy. I gotcha covered," said Lucy, digging her lacrima out of her bag.

Just because Levy was an independent woman didn't mean she didn't have options. Lucy happened to hear a convenient rumor lately, and she was hoping it was true.

"Who are you calling?" asked Levy.

"Just a friend." It had been a while since they'd worked together and honestly, she was pleasantly surprised to find his number still worked.

"Hello, Hibiki? This is Lucy. From Fairy Tail," she added.

Lucy wasn't sure how many other Lucys would have called Hibiki lately, but he seemed like a popular guy, so it was possible she wasn't the only one.

"Lucy! Great to hear from you. What's up?" Hibiki's voice was smooth in her ear.

"I'm calling in a favor… Did I ever introduce you to my friend Levy?"

Despite being a bit of a flirt, Hibiki had been a pretty nice guy. He also seemed to be more of an intellectual than the other Blue Pegasus guys. Lucy thought that he and Levy would get along well. It would be a fun one-time kind of thing. Once Gajeel got this wake-up call, he wouldn't be letting Levy out of his sight for a while.

"She sounds familiar. I don't think we've met though. Oh, wait. She was with you guys when we found you on Tenrou Island, yeah?"

"Uh-huh. Yeah. That's right." Lucy gnawed at her nails before jerking her hand away from her mouth. She had a bad habit of biting her nails when she was bored or nervous. It was one of the reasons she'd rarely paint her fingernails, preferring to stick to toes.

"It's coming back to me now. So, what about Levy?"

"I heard you were free on Saturday," said Lucy carefully.

"You heard correctly," said Hibiki. "I'm guessing your friend Levy is too."

"I was hoping to introduce you," said Lucy.

"We're talking about the Gala, right? Is this a blind date?" he asked, his voice teasing.

"You could say that," said Lucy, a smile in her voice.

There was a pause that made Lucy's stomach flip-flop. She didn't understand why _she_ was nervous. She wasn't even asking for herself.

Finally, Hibiki responded.

"You know I'm always game to meet new people," he said.

Lucy let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. "So you wouldn't mind? Oh, that's great! I knew I could count on you."

"It's no problem. Like you said, I was free anyways."

Lucy noticed Levy watching her with wide eyes, suddenly realizing that the other girl had only gotten to hear half of the conversation. Levy hadn't even met Hibiki before.

Well, that would soon be fixed.

"Do you want to say hi to her?" asked Lucy. "Let me put you on speaker and you can say hi."

" _Lucy_!" squeaked Levy, turning pink.

"It's fine," Lucy mouthed, passing the lacrima over to her friend with a grin.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi?" stuttered Levy.

"Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing? Is this Miss Levy?"

"Um, yes. Yes, it is!" said Levy.

"What an honor. My name's Hibiki. Hibiki Lates." Ever the gentleman, Hibiki was in top form.

In Lucy's opinion, Hibiki wasn't nearly as handsome as Gray or as strong as Natsu. But there was a reason he was one of the most sought-after wizards in Fiore.

"Hibiki Lates?" repeated Levy. "That sounds familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Where's last week's Sorcerer Weekly?" whispered Lucy. "The one with the Blue Pegasus special?"

"Dresser," whispered Levy.

"I don't think we've met. But I'm hoping to remedy that this Saturday. You'll do me the honor of accompanying me to the Victory Gala?" he asked smoothly.

Lucy found the article she was looking for, sliding the magazine at Levy. She tapped at a picture of a good-looking wizard with sandy blond hair and brown eyes.

" _That_ Hibiki?" whispered Levy, going bug-eyed.

Lucy nodded, grinning.

"Miss Levy?"

"Huh? What?"

"Are you free Saturday? I was hoping to escort you to the Victory Gala," he reminded her.

"…yeah," said Levy, smiling. "That sounds like fun."

"Excellent. Where should I meet up with you? Maybe I can pick you up from your place?"

"I live in Fairy Hills. That's our guild's girls' dorm. Do you need directions?"

"Nah, I'm sure I can figure it out. I'll see you at six on Saturday."

"Sounds good. See you then," said Levy, ending the call.

"So?" asked Lucy. She took Levy's hand and went back to finishing her manicure.

"This… might actually work out," said Levy, a smile pulling at her lips. "I was a little nervous at first, but… well, I'm kind of excited now."

"I hoped you might say that," said Lucy. "You totally have to dig out that little black dress now!"

* * *

 **So... Hibiki X Levy?! (I'll bet some of you thought that I was going HibLu with this one, didn't ya?) XD So I got the idea from a submission on the Fairy Tail Confess blog. Somebody had suggested a cute headcanon that Levy used to have a crush on Freed (or something like that). But that got me wondering... what would it be like for Levy to date her intellectual equal (or even just a fellow nerd)? I started to think through who might make a great conversation partner for our adorbz little Solid-Script Mage. I considered everyone from Freed to that nerdy writer guy that Lucy meets in the one side episode. I stumbled upon Hibiki as a potential match, and the idea was so strange that I couldn't ignore it. So here we are.  
**

 **Same deal as before. Suggest a ship name in the comments... (or hope that Gajeel changes his mind about the dance _before_ we settle on a name.)**

 **Next time, in the final scene of** ** _[Mazeverse] Much Ado About Nothing,_** **we find out what special secret task Master asked Laxus to do in Chapter 1:** _"Good to see we understand each other," said Laxus._ **There's a mystery guest... can you guess who it is?** **  
**

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	7. Second Chances

**Happy Friday! This is the last chapter of _Much Ado about Nothing_. I hope you had as much fun with it as I did. Now that I'm done pulling surprise characters out of my magic hat, I'll update the tags to reflect all ships teased during this fic. :)  
**

 **But, wait! What happened to the actual dance?! This is a weird place to end a story... We'll pick back up with the actual night of the dance in a separate sequel fic called _Victory Gala_.**

 **\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Jellal sensed the intruder the minute he stepped foot on the premises. Crime Sorciere HQ was well off the beaten path, hidden away where unsuspecting innocents wouldn't stumble upon it on accident.

No, this was no accident.

Whoever this was came here on purpose. And Jellal was about to find out why.

Ultear caught him in the hall, her expression grim. "Did you sense that? Outside?"

"Yes," he said tersely. "Stay here."

"But—" she protested

"Ultear, let me handle this," insisted Jellal.

Ultear snorted. "Don't be stupid."

The door to Meredy's chambers opened. The girl popped her head out. "What's going on?" she asked. Her eyes widened as she saw the way her mentor trailed after their leader. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing. Everything's fine," said Jellal without pausing.

"But Jellal, with you _nothing_ is always something!" said Meredy.

"He's just being reckless. Just like a man," sneered Ultear.

What a time for the girls to gang up on him!

"Go back to your room, Meredy," said Jellal.

"I'm not a little kid!" she insisted, stomping her foot. "You can't just send me to my room like that."

"Really? Your behavior says otherwise," he said.

Meredy looked like she wanted to stick her tongue out, but she didn't. Jellal wondered if this was what it felt like to have a little sister. His time in captivity hadn't afforded him the luxury of a family but he was starting to consider his dysfunctional little guild as such.

"Ultear, please," said Jellal, shooting her a look.

Ultear sighed, but relented. "Come on, Meredy," she said. "We'll leave the idiot to be stupid by himself."

"But, Ul!"

"We'll be on hand for backup when it all falls apart on him, sound good?" said Ultear, her voice soothing.

"Fine," sighed Meredy.

"I appreciate the confidence," said Jellal dryly.

They ran into Sawyer and Macbeth in the entry hall.

"We've got incoming, Boss," said Sawyer.

"I'm aware," said Jellal. "Did you get a visual?"

"Of course."

"And?"

"He didn't even see me coming," said Sawyer proudly.

"What did he look like?" asked Jellal impatiently.

"Big guy. Blond. Scar over his eye."

"It's easier if I show you," suggested Macbeth, making Meredy jump.

Macbeth had a way of fading out into the background. He'd sit there without saying a word, startling those who weren't paying attention when he finally did speak up.

With a wave of his hand, Macbeth brought forth an illusion of a man matching Sawyer's description.

"I recognize him," Meredy piped up. "He's from Fairy Tail. He was with us when we went on that rescue mission up on Mount Hakobe with Juvia and Lyon."

"Just because he's with Fairy Tail doesn't mean he's necessarily a friend," reminded Ultear.

"I'll be careful," said Jellal. "Stop worrying."

"Holler if you want backup," said Sawyer.

With a whisk of his cloak, Jellal stepped out into the forest, letting himself, seemingly, appear in front of the visitor.

"Laxus, was it?" he asked.

"Jellal Fernandez." To his credit, the Lightning Dragon-Slayer didn't so much as bat an eye.

"What brings you all the way out here?" Jellal asked, not bothering to hide his wary look.

Laxus looked indifferent. "I'm not here to turn you in, if that's what you're wondering."

"How did you find us?"

"Is that important? I'm just here because of a mission you were involved with seven years ago. One that involved Fairy Tail and three other registered guilds."

"What do you know about that?" asked Jellal sharply.

Laxus let out a breath. "I know you helped to defeat the Oracion Seis," he offered, his hands up in a sign of good faith. "Isn't that right, _'Mystogan_?' I don't know if you're aware, but we celebrate every year with a Victory Gala. We're getting together in Magnolia this Saturday. Master Makarov wanted me to let you know. That's all."

"You realize that I'm not—"

"Sure, you did," said Laxus, cutting him off. "In fact, you actually managed to beat them twice, right, _Mystogan_?"

There it was again. That name. Laxus seemed to be missing the point on purpose.

"Let's say I am who you say I am—" started Jellal.

"Who else would you be?" asked Laxus.

"—what then?"

"If anyone deserves to be recognized at this event, it would be you. Your part in this was off the record, but Dragneel seems to think we couldn't have done it without you."

Jellal couldn't hide his surprise. "He said that?"

Laxus shrugged. "I was surprised too. We can't credit you formally, but the least we can do is ask you to join the party."

"I don't require credit," said Jellal. "This is simply part of my penance. I am atoning for my sins."

For Jellal, these weren't empty words or some kind of mantra. Atonement was his new-found purpose in life. There was little he could do to make amends for his actions, but such a life was already far better than he deserved.

"Say what you want. The invitation stands."

Jellal letting out an impatient breath that sounded almost like a scoff. "You are aware of my… status, yes?"

"Last I checked, Mystogan wasn't accused of any crimes," said Laxus mildly. Then his mouth pulled into a grim line. "The Old Man took a risk and pulled some strings to make this work. It should be safe enough, but this is not a free-for-all. You'll keep your face covered if you come."

Jellal bowed his head. "Of course. I wouldn't want to cause any further trouble for Fairy Tail."

"Good to see we understand each other," said Laxus.

But there was still one question working at the back of Jellal's mind.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"The Old Man believes in second chances," said Laxus disdainfully. But then his expression softened. "And so do I."

For a moment, the two mages just looked at one another. Jellal suddenly had the feeling that he was dealing with someone who was not too different from himself.

Laxus broke eye contact first. "I'll see myself out," he said, turning to leave.

"Laxus!" called Jellal, making the other man pause. "How is Erza?"

The Lightning Dragon-Slayer didn't look back. "Ask her yourself."

Jellal returned to HQ to find his teammates still assembled.

"Nothing to worry about," he reported. "I've answered Laxus' questions and sent him back to Fairy Tail."

"But he didn't seem to have answered yours," commented Ultear.

"Hm?"

"And just how _is_ Erza?" crooned Ultear, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"I thought I told you to stay here," said Jellal irritably, though he could feel his face heating up.

"You didn't say not to listen in," Sawyer pointed out.

Jellal snorted.

"I'm not just fast on my feet. My wit's pretty quick too," bragged Sawyer.

"You're going aren't you?" chirped Meredy. "The Victory Gala?"

"Of course not," said Jellal. "There's no way that would work."

"But Fairy Tail's Master made all the arrangements. They're practically _asking_ you to make an appearance as Mystogan," Meredy protested. "And Erza will be there," she whispered, making Sawyer snicker.

Jellal shook his head. "It's a formal dance, not a bank heist. This isn't the sort of thing I can show up to in a balaclava," he deadpanned.

Meredy pouted, but she seemed to realize that he was right.

"Phantom of the Opera," said Macbeth, sounding bored. He shrugged as he stood up, disappearing down the hall toward his quarters.

Jellal frowned to himself. Phantom of the Opera, huh?

* * *

 **So who knew I was going to bring in Jellal? (He was the only protagonist from the Oracion Seis arc that we haven't seen yet—minus Wendy, who got all of two sentences last chapter—so it seemed pretty obvious to me... XD)**

 **I loved Laxus and Jellal's weird little connection in GMG. That _camaraderie..._ Since there is no GMG in Mazeverse, this was my way of working that in.**

 **So the next story is... actually not _The Victory Gala._ We've got two side-stories that need to come first. The first involves my headcanon that Gray has a motorcycle. It was originally part of _Much Ado_ , but I sort of fell in love with the idea of bad-boy biker Gray. (You'll notice that some of my Gray's in other universes start becoming bikers. XD) It's way too long to be a chapter and it works better as a stand-alone.**

 **Stop back next Friday for _[Mazeverse]_ ****_Joyride_** **, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


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